An Elmore County used car dealership is facing allegations of defrauding Alabama consumers and could be forced to close down.

Elmore County Circuit Judge Sibley G. Reynolds granted Attorney General Luther Strange's request for a temporary restraining order and to seize the property of Quality Used Cars and its associate Preowned Automotive, operated by Claton (or Clayton) and Connie Reeves out of Elmore since 2009, according to a news release.

"The state's highest priority is ensuring no more parties are harmed by Quality's business practices. If possible, the state also wishes to secure relief for those already victimized," Strange said in his motion to the Judge.

The Attorney General alleged that Quality Used Cars has a "consistent practice" of not fulfilling financial deals and has accepted vehicle trade-ins "under the condition of paying off existing liens but then failed to do so." He adds that Quality Used Cars has sold vehicles without disclosing attached liens and paying the state taxes they collected on the sales.

"Quality has acquired other vehicles via false pretenses and bad checks, which has led to credit unions, banks, and other car dealers losing tens of thousands," Strange continued in a statement. "Finally, Quality has failed to obtain, let lapse, or had revoked such quality standards as a surety bond, a state business license, and from the Department of Revenue, its Dealer License and Designated Agent status. Thus, any deal Quality makes is corroded from the start."

Also named in the Strange's lawsuit are Monecia Brown, daughter of Claton and Connie Reeves, and Brown's husband Christopher Robinson, for their actions as employees or agents of the dealer, which is located at 6155 Elmore Road. A preliminary injunction hearing is set for March 5.

Calls to the number listed for Quality Used Cars were not returned Thursday.

In regard to not paying sales tax, Strange's complaint states "over 70 months Quality has sold multiple vehicles at retail and collected and underpaid at least $53,072.88 in sales tax, which it itemized on issued bills of sale. This sales tax, which consumers paid in addition to the price of their chosen vehicle, never made it to the (Revenue) Department."

Strange's complaint states that $30,923 in additional interest and penalties also is owed. The figures are estimates based upon only those transactions which are known, the release states.

In a civil complaint also filed, Strange accuses the car dealer of 18 counts of violating the Alabama Deceptive Trade Practices Act as well as a 19th count of a Department of Revenue violation. He gives examples of three particular fraudulent transactions, as stated in the release:

• A woman traded in her Ford Ranger vehicle to purchase a car from Quality with the agreement that the dealership would pay off her $3,900 lien on the Ford Ranger. This is a standard practice for car dealers who accept a trade-in that has a lien. She began to get notices that her loan had not been paid, and over the next 22 months the car dealer only sporadically made payments in which the checks bounced, were late, or did not cover the payment amount. Not only did this damage the woman's credit history, but the credit union filed a lawsuit against her. It was only after she reported the matter to the Elmore County Sheriff's Office, and the Reeves were threatened with arrest, that Quality finally paid off the loan nearly two years later. In addition to the harm caused to the consumer, Quality caused the credit union substantial administrative and legal costs to collect what was owed.

• Another woman paid $4,700 for the same Ford Ranger. Knowing there was the unpaid lien on the vehicle, Quality falsely represented that it had the title and that there was no lien.

• During her purchase of a vehicle from an Alabaster car dealer, Connie Reeves was asked for her regulatory license and her Alabama Sales Tax License. She claimed that she had left them in Elmore County, wrote a check for $16,200, and left with the car and its title. This check, and a subsequent second check, bounced. At this time, they have not yet paid for the vehicle.